The present invention relates generally to boats. More particularly, the present invention relates to boats having hulls with strengthened by fibrous reinforcing material and to methods for manufacturing such boats.
Boat hulls have historically been made of many different types of material such as aluminum, steel or wood. Another common material used in the manufacture of boat hulls is a laminate material made of fiberglass-reinforced resin.
Open face molds are frequently used to manufacture fiberglass hulls. To make a hull with an open face mold, a layer of gel coat is frequently first applied to the mold. Next, a barrier layer is often applied to the gel coat. Finally a layer of fiberglass-reinforced resin is applied to the barrier layer. When the hull is removed from the mold, the gel coat provides a smooth, aesthetically pleasing outer surface of the hull. The barrier layer prevents the fiberglass from printing or pressing through the gel coat. The fiberglass provides the hull with structural rigidity. Additional rigidity is typically provided to the hull by stringer and flooring structures that are subsequently mounted within the hull.
Conventional techniques for manufacturing fiberglass boats involve a number of separate, time consuming process steps. What is needed is a more efficient process for manufacturing boats made of fibrous reinforcement material.
One aspect of the present invention relates to a method for making a boat. The boat includes a port side positioned opposite from a starboard side. The boat also includes a floor and stingers supports positioned within the hull. The method includes providing a insert having two spaced-apart elongated portions interconnected by at least two spaced-apart transverse portions that extend between the elongated portions. The elongated portions are sized and relatively positioned for one of the elongated portions to extend along the port side of the hull and the other of the elongated portions to extend along the starboard side of the hull. The method also includes positioning the insert in a chamber defined between a male mold piece and a female mold piece. The method further includes providing fibrous reinforcing material that surrounds the insert within the chamber. The fibrous reinforcing material includes portions positioned between the male mold piece and the insert, and also includes portions positioned between the female mold piece and the insert. The method further includes transferring resin into the chamber between the male and female mold pieces such that the resin envelops the fibrous reinforcing material, and curing the resin within the chamber. As the resin cures, the resin enveloped fibrous reinforcing material hardens to form the hull, the floor and the support stringers of the boat.
A variety of advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description that follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practicing the invention. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention as claimed.